10 June 2004

As the world Church prepares for the Lausanne 2004 Forum for World Evangelisation – taking place in Thailand in September, 2004 – The Salvation Army has constituted 31 focus groups. These will formulate statements to present to the issue groups at the Forum which will discuss topics identified as roadblocks to evangelism.

Thirty Salvation Army delegates to the Forum will be members of the issue groups. Colonel Earl Robinson, Secretary for Spiritual Life Development and International External Relations, will lead the Salvation Army delegation. Following the Lausanne Forum, the Salvation Army focus groups will review the implementation strategies proposed by the issue groups before these are forwarded to the General. ‘In this way The Salvation Army will be able to share its worldwide experience,' says Commissioner for World Evangelisation Paul du Plessis.

Salvationists and friends who wish to offer their comments on any of the topics may email Commissioner Paul du Plessis at IHQ-CFWE@salvationarmy.org or through the web site by going to http://www.salvationarmy.org and then to About us>World Evangelisation>Lausanne 2004.

The Forum will be comprised of 31 groups whose members will address a specific issue and develop an implementation strategy to be presented for feedback by the other Forum participants. The issues were identified through a comprehensive two-year worldwide research effort conducted by Dr. Peter Brierly of Christian Research, listening to God's voice through a diversity of Church leaders.

In line with Lausanne's commitment to 'the whole Church taking the whole gospel to the whole world', the issues will be grouped into three categories:

The Whole World
– addressing the changing nature of the world, from globalisation to reaching marginalised people groups.

The Whole Church
– empowering the Body of Christ to participate in reaching everyone with the Good News.

The Whole Gospel
– meeting needs and sharing Christ through every appropriate and available means.

Read more at the Forum for World Evangelisation web site: http://www.gospelcom.net/lcwe/2004/

The Whole World

1. GLOBALISATION: Opportunities and threats to the gospel generated by globalisation.
2. UNIQUENESS OF CHRIST IN A POSTMODERN WORLD: a continuing challenge for the worldwide Church in the context of postmodernity and world religions.
3. THE PERSECUTED CHURCH: Faith under fire: concern for the growing persecution of Christians. The why, how and when of Christian/Church intervention in human rights issues, and political change which prohibits or limits evangelisation.
4. HOLISTIC MISSION: The imperative of caring as well as proclaiming. The importance of holistic mission including tackling Aids, rural poverty and the consequences of natural disasters.
5. AT-RISK PEOPLE: Reaching marginalised people. Applying the gospel to refugees, prostitutes, victims of crime and abuse, children at risk and the oppressed.
6. HIDDEN AND FORGOTTEN PEOPLE: Reaching those who have never heard the name of Jesus.
7. NON-TRADITIONAL FAMILIES: The wisdom needed to share the gospel within diverse family structures.
8. TRANSFORMATION OF CITIES: Transformation of the city and the new slums: the challenge of urban mission

The Whole Church

9. PARTNERSHIP AND COLLABORATION: Working together to further the gospel: partnerships, networking, alliances and relationships with non-evangelicals.
10. THE LOCAL CHURCH AND GREAT COMMISSION: Ways in which we can enable our own denomination/local church to be transformed to become more evangelistically oriented and committed to taking the gospel to both the local community and the world.
11. MARKETPLACE MINISTRY: Helping the people of God recover the calling, equipping and mobilisation of every believer into ministry in their workplace to practise and demonstrate service, witness and the righteousness of the Kingdom of God in their relationships, responsibilities and leadership.
12. FUTURE LEADERSHIP: Developing future leadership for world evangelisation. Motivating leadership for evangelism, equipping, mentoring and training.
13. PRAYER IN EVANGELISM: The role of prayer in evangelism. How can we mobilise the Church to pray for world mission as well as God’s miraculous intervention in bringing the gospel to closed people?.
14. THE REALITIES OF CHANGING EXPRESSIONS OF CHURCH: The different patterns for church planting aiming at different sections of the community and the effectiveness of this in reaching the unreached with the gospel.
15. THE TWO-THIRDS WORLD CHURCH: Consider the growth of the Church in Latin America, Africa and Asia and identify reasons for growth and causes of blockages in evangelism in these continents.

The Whole Gospel

16. RELIGIOUS AND NON-RELIGIOUS SPIRITUALITY IN THE POSTMODERN WORLD
17. REDEEMING THE ARTS: The arts, which provide creative opportunities for evangelism, are not currently being fully recognised and utilised by the Church.
18. EVANGELISATION OF CHILDREN: The evangelisation and discipleship of children as a primary responsibility of, and privilege for, the Church.
19. MEDIA AND TECHNOLOGY: Its uses and abuses in spreading the gospel.
20. UNDERSTANDING AND MINISTRY AMONG MUSLIMS
21. THE IMPACT ON GLOBAL MISSION OF RELIGIOUS NATIONALISM AND POST-9/11 REALITIES: How can the proclamation of the gospel address the requirements and pressure of ethnic identity, and in what ways can we respond with the gospel to those affected by 9/11 and the consequent war on terrorism?
22. CONFRONTING RACIAL, TRIBAL AND ETHNIC CONFLICT WITHIN THE CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY: Seeking reconciliation and transformation.

New Issue Topics

23. REACHING THE YOUTH GENERATION: Youth (aged 18 to 29) need to be reached with the gospel and effectively discipled.
24. EMPOWERING WOMEN AND MEN TO UTILISE THEIR GIFTS TOGETHER FOR THE SPREAD OF THE GOSPEL: The gifts of the Holy Spirit are not gender related, so men and women need to empower one another to serve the Kingdom.
25. MAKING DISCIPLES OF ORAL LEARNERS: Reaching the visual and oral learners of the world.
26. REACHING AND MOBILISING THE DIASPORA PRESENT IN OUR OWN LANDS: There are immigrant communities and international students in many countries. Their presence offers an opportunity to reach these people with the gospel, especially as many of these people come from countries where there is no freedom to share the gospel or to convert to Christianity.
27. FUNDING FOR EVANGELISM AND MISSION: One of the major blockages in evangelistic effort is the lack of funding. We need to identify ways in which funds can be tapped, and what procedures need to be followed.
28. EFFECTIVE EDUCATION FOR EVANGELISATION: Educational strategies need to be developed which impact on values and attitudes, as well as knowledge and skills, if Christian families are to function as Christian faith communities.
29. BIOETHICS: OBSTACLE OR OPPORTUNITY FOR THE GOSPEL?: Identify how Christians may confront contemporary medical ethical issues in such a way that the gospel is not invalidated.
30. BUSINESS AS MISSION: What shall we do about the millions of people currently unreached by the gospel?
31. REACHING JEWS WITH THE GOSPEL: The Lausanne Consultation on Jewish Evangelism has – ever since its beginning in 1980 – been a very active network whose aim has been to bring together people and organisations who seek to reach the Jewish people with the gospel.

 

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